As institutional campuses are exploring ways to draw down greenhouse gas emissions, one of the largest sources of ongoing emissions is heat via fossil fuels. Many campuses use steam, a century-old technology that relies on coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy to heat water into steam that is piped through buildings through radiators. But technology has greatly advanced to the point of requiring nearly ambient-temperature water to heat our buildings. Moving toward climate neutral means moving away from these old technologies, specifically to electricity-powered systems that can be fueled by renewable sources.
On June 25, 2021, GreenerU hosted its third climate neutrality discussion in a series designed to help campuses navigate the steps to getting to climate zero, where GreenerU’s Chris Lewis provided a presentation on strategic electrification.
Strategic electrification is meeting building thermal energy demands with electrically powered systems, instead of through the combustion of fossil fuels. In this PowerPoint slide deck, you’ll find details on the arguments for switching to electricity-powered heating sources, including a consistent trend of ever-cheaper renewable electricity.